Sports Nutrition

Session 3

2nd Nutritional Timing Window

Branched Chained Amino Acids and Free Form Amino Acids

Sports NutritionSession 3

Objectives:

The students will learn the benefits and pitfalls of nutritional timing associated with athletic performance.

•The student will learn what nutrients are appropriate to consume during the 2nd Nutritional Timing Window to enhance athletic performance.

•The student will learn the difference between branched chained amino acids and free form amino acids and how the effects athletic performance.•SOLs: 11/12.1, 11/12.2, 11/12.3, 11/12.4, 11/12.5

2nd Nutritional Window

During Training;

Consume a sports drink that has some protein (~5-10 g whey – Free Form Amino Acids).

Such as: Muscle Milk (Protein H2O, Chocolate Milk, Accelerade Recovery)

Nutritional Aids Facts

Muscle fiber size increases most with CHO + amino acids.

The synergistic effect of CHO + Amino Acids ingestion maximizes the anabolic response presumably by attenuating the post- exercise rise in protein degradation.

Branched Chain Amino Acid

A branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) is an amino acid having aliphatic side chains with a branch.

There are three BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine.

The BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins.

BCAA tend to break down slowly, therefore are not recommend for pre and post nutrition for athletes.

Free Form Amino Acids

Free Form Amino Acids are singular molecules, not attached by peptide bonds to other amino acids.

Crystalline free form amino acids do not need to be digested. They are assimilated directly into the body and ready to be utilized.

Crystalline FFAAs are absorbed into the bloodstream and are available to the tissues within 20 minutes, requiring no digestion to be utilized. This ensures that the appropriate amino acids can be available immediately after exercise when the muscle is especially receptive to nutrients and blood flow remains high.